Many hospitals are already enjoying significant energy savings by swapping old hot water storage systems for technology that delivers hot water on demand. Spirax Sarco says its EasiHeat system can typically cut energy use by 6-10 %, while also freeing up valuable maintenance time, and being eligible for Government funding.
EasiHeat systems use compact plate heat exchangers to provide hot water on demand. This eliminates the need for hot water storage and, the manufacturer says, the resulting reduction in heat losses leads to greater energy efficiency. Spirax Sarco added: “The removal of hot water storage also saves space, and potentially helps eliminate problems associated with Legionella contamination.”
The Aberdeen Royal Infirmary found that switching its domestic hot water and heating from shell-and-tube calorifiers to EasiHeat systems delivered energy savings of at least 15%. Replacing the hospital’s ageing calorifiers has also reportedly saved up to three weeks of maintenance work each year, since the old systems had to be stripped down for regular insurance inspections.
“We made the decision to change because one of the calorifiers was nearing 55 years old,” says Aberdeen Royal Infirmary’s estates officer, Trevor Stirton. “They were high maintenance, and we knew modern systems would be more energy-efficient. We don’t have the new systems metered for steam consumption, so we cannot say exactly what they’re saving, but it is estimated to be up to 15% overall for the heating and domestic hot water applications we have replaced.”
Funding opportunities
Saving energy is a higher priority than ever, so certain schemes are eligible for Government help. At Kettering Hospital, Spirax Sarco provided all the energy-saving calculations that the estates department needed to secure a £250,000 grant towards the cost of equipping two of its plantrooms with new EasiHeat systems. Adrian Coombes, head of estates, described the input from Spirax Sarco as “critical” in winning the Department of Health funding. “We’re really pleased with the installation and the level of support we received from Spirax Sarco throughout the project,” he said.
Spirax Sarco added: “In addition to energy savings, the biggest single advantage of EasiHeat systems is the reduction in maintenance compared with traditional shell-and-tube exchangers. This is partly because many older systems are simply reaching the end of their lives, but also because hot water calorifiers have to be stripped down and inspected annually for insurance purposes – a potentially lengthy process that can put a calorifier out of action for up to a week. Most insurers do not require PHE-based systems to be stripped down in this way.
For more information, email: uk.enquiries@uk.spiraxsarco.com, telephone: 01242 535319, or visit www.spiraxsarco.com/uk.
